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By Jonathan Myrie

PORTMORE, Jamaica — “The pulpit is not a place for mere performance; the pulpit must be a place where divine relevance is made central to the lives of people.”

With those words, Pastor Glen O. Samuels, president of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, challenged seven newly ordained ministers to pursue authentic, Scripture-centered ministry during an ordination service held at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 13, 2026.

[caption id="attachment_13761" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Pastor Glen O. Samuels, president of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, delivers the keynote charge to seven newly ordained ministers and other attendees during an ordination service at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 13, 2026. [Photo: Jon-Marc Myrie][/caption]

The service marked a significant milestone for pastors Kristoff Bedward, Glendon Caballero, Rayon Daley, Harrone Guthrie, Kevon Richards, Locksley Tulloch, and Jamaine Williams, who were formally ordained to gospel ministry after years of pastoral service and preparation.

[caption id="attachment_13766" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The seven ordinands (from left to right)—Pastors Kristoff Bedward, Rayon Daley, Glendon Caballero, Harrone Guthrie, Jamaine Williams, Locksley Tulloch, and Kevon Richards—along with their wives, pose for a group photograph during an Ordination Service held at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 13, 2026.[/caption]

Drawing from Ezekiel 3 and Revelation 10, Samuels repeatedly emphasized the importance of “feeding on the Word,” calling on the pastors to remain lifelong students of Scripture. He said effective ministry flows not from eloquence or information alone, but from a personal encounter with God’s Word.

Addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence, social media, and digital resources, Samuels warned against relying solely on technology for spiritual nourishment.

“It wouldn’t take long for your congregation to fact-check you and discover whether you come from ChatGPT or from Claude,” he said. “The invitation from God then—feed on the Word.”

While acknowledging the value of technology as a source of information, he stressed that only a minister who has personally wrestled with and been transformed by Scripture can effectively lead a congregation.

[caption id="attachment_13764" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Pastor Nevail Barrett (left), president of the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, presents a bible to ordinands during an Ordination Service at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 13, 2026.[/caption]

“Before we talk to the people about God, you must first talk to God about the people,” he said. “The church will rise no higher spiritually than the spiritual depth and quality of its shepherd.”

Samuels also challenged the newly ordained ministers to understand the church’s mission beyond social fellowship or religious routine.

“The Church is not the Christian’s Country Club,” he said. “The Church is the theatre where divine surgery must take place.”

He described the church as a community where God heals broken lives, restores hearts, and transforms character, calling on pastors to create environments where such transformation can occur through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Turning to the moral and spiritual challenges facing both church and society, Samuels argued that many of today’s problems stem from a lack of clear biblical leadership.

“The trouble with our church, the problem with our nation, is that there is lacking a certain voice from God,” he said.

He urged ministers to resist the temptation to substitute popular opinion for biblical conviction and to remain faithful to Scripture even when doing so may be unpopular.

“We need strong voices, biblically rooted voices, a voice from God who is not afraid to be deemed unpopular,” he said. “They may ban you from their Facebook page, they may stop following you, but you cannot stop following the plain ‘Thus saith the Lord God.’”

[caption id="attachment_13762" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ordained ministers lay hands on seven pastors during an ordination service at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 13, 2026, symbolizing the church’s recognition of their divine calling and dedication to gospel ministry. [Photo: Jon-Marc Myrie][/caption]

Samuels also emphasized the universal relevance of the gospel, noting that its message transcends social status, political affiliation, and economic standing.

“What we have is a life-giving, transforming message, for kings and queens, for parliamentarians and prime ministers, for governors and peasants,” he said.

In closing, he reminded the ordinands that ordination carries a heightened level of responsibility and accountability.

“You are first a man, my fellow pastors, but you are not just a man; you are God’s man,” Samuels said. “And some stuff that a regular man can do, God’s man can’t do that.”

He encouraged the newly ordained ministers to live lives marked by integrity, spiritual discipline, and faithfulness to their calling as they serve congregations across the Jamaica Union territory.